Students at the University have many different reasons for getting tattoos, and just as many for avoiding them.

Each student with a tattoo has their own reason for getting it. For Junior Jasmine Herak, getting a tattoo fulfilled a childhood dream.

‘It’s something I wanted since I was little,’ she said.

Although she only has one tattoo, she believes that one tattoo leads to more.

‘My siblings all have [tattoos] and are getting another one,’ she said.

Freshman John Holland said he agreed that one tattoo can lead to more. He has two tattoos. After his first one, he went back for more and is thinking about getting a third.

‘I got my first one my 18th birthday and then I got my second because I wanted another one,’ he said. ‘It’s addicting.’

Laura Wittler is a tattoo artist at On the Edge Tattoo and Body Art Studios. She has so many tattoos that she has lost count.

‘I generally tell people I’m working on one large one,’ she said.

Despite the large number of tattoos, she said that most of them have personal meanings.

‘A lot of them are really hard to explain,’ she said. ‘It’s a pretty personal thing.’

She said the beginning of the school year is a popular time for students to get tattoos and roughly half of people who come to On the Edge become repeat customers.

For some people, it is just a matter of getting comfortable, Wittler said. Once they do, they may find themselves coming back for more.

‘Some people come back every couple of weeks,’ she said. ‘If you’re here, people usually talk themselves into getting something done.’

Students also offer plenty of reasons for not getting tattoos, even if they are not against the act.

Sophomore Matthew Huffman considered getting one. He said he decided against it because he is studying law and it would be unprofessional, although he thinks getting a tattoo is okay if it can be covered.

‘It’s not unprofessional if it’s somewhere people can’t see it,’ he said.

Freshman Brittney Gnepper also chooses not to get a tattoo, but for a different reason.

‘I wouldn’t be able to handle the pain. Otherwise I would get one,’ she said.

Wittler said people need to make sure they get tattoos for the right reasons. They should get something that they genuinely want, she said, and not just because tattoos have become more mainstream.

‘Don’t do it because it’s cool,’ she said. ‘It’s something that you really should make sure you’re doing it for yourself and not others.”